The Letter

"Good night sweetie" I finished tucking my daughter in.

"Nighty Nighty mommy!"

I walked down the corridors of the palace, it was dead silent except for the pitter-patter that my shoes made as I went towards my bedroom.i Why is that light on? /i It was strange everyone was usually asleep by now, it had been that way for a few years.

I knocked on the frame of the door, "Zuzu?"

He flinched but continued what he was doing as if I was not heard.

"Zuko! I know you can hear me. Now just what are you doing?" I entered the bedroom, "Why are you packing your things? You better not be bailing out the night before your coronation as Fire-lord"

It was then that I noticed that he was visibly shaking with tears running down his face.

"A...Azu...Azula?" He turned around. Never in my life had I seen such a broken Zuko, not even when he was stripped of his honor and given his scar did he look like this. He was stressed no frightened, but not from his crowning it was from something else...

"What's wrong? I moved him away from his knapsack that contained very little.

"I...I'm leaving."

The candles in the room began to glow brighter, "WHAT! Oh no you are not! I swear both of your eyes will have scars if you think you are about to go off and leave! People won't be able to recon-" A wrinkled piece of parchment was thrusted towards my face, "What the hell is this?"

Zuko dried his tears and returned to packing, "Read."

The letter wasn't very long, only a handful of lines. But those lines were enough. "Oh my god, Zuko!"

"I know." He looked down at his shoes.

"But how."

"I'm not answering that, it should be obvious how." He still wasn't looking at me.

"But...but...but when!" I was becoming hysterical, this letter was just too much.

"A few months ago, when I still visiting the Gaang"

I couldn't help but snicker at the silly nickname for the group but quickly regained composure, "Explain. Now!" I sat down on the edge of the bed with my legs crossed waiting.

He sighed and began, "As you know I went to visit the Gaang because it had been awhile. A lot had changed, and I mean a lot! Of course everyone was older and had matured in their own ways. But that wasn't the only thing that had changed, you remember Sokka and Suki right?

"Yeah. If I'm correct, which you know I am, Suki was that warrior chick from...Kyoshi Island and Sokka was the other water tribe peasant that Ty Lee finds to be cute."

"Ok yeah, though I didn't know about the whole Ty Lee thing...gross." He shuddered slightly, "Anyway the two of them were dating and had been doing so for a while, however when I went to visit Suki was gone and Sokka was now engaged to Toph. You remem-"

I squealed, "Oh the blind girl! I always wanted to spare with her, she seems like a worthy opponent!"

"Sure, whatever. Moving own I was expecting to see Aang and Katara together, because it was always obvious that he loved her. But they weren't, in fact they damn near hated each other. Being around them was just weird because even the air around them screamed pure hatred. Why? I don't know, they wouldn't say. Anyway I fit in perfectly again, and we all sat down and started talking about what had happened since, well you know."

"When our father was stripped of his bending and put in jail. God I hope he rots forever in hell, he's the reason why I was the way I was when we were younger. Dumb old man, I'd curse his soul if he had one." I was seething with anger, he was why Zuko and I weren't normal. And now, even though he is dead, he still haunts us for the things we did can't ever be erased. The flames on the candles became tall pillars and were beginning to engulf the room.

"Calm down Azula, calm down. Please!" They shrunk down to normal size, "The Gaang currently lives in the Western Air Temple slowly restoring little bits and pieces when needed, so they spend most of their time there. Although they do leave occasionally, like for my public coronation in a few weeks. Anywho whilst there I started to talk and hang out with each of them. Aang and Sokka were fun to get drunk with, Toph for just talking, and Katara...she was everything. She was fun talk to, spare with, look at the sun rise and set, and gaze at the moon and millions of stars...she was just fun to be with. And well I will admit it, I had fallen for. Since my break up with Mai a few years back, love and stuff...it was hard for me. Especially living with you and your family. Oh stop blushing, you know its true, four kids just don't magically appear! Anyway one night Katara and I were sparing and well it was getting pretty serious to the point where it was like we were trying to kill each other. She attacked with her water whips which I matched with my own of fire, giving ourselfs plenty of nicks and scratches, cuts and burns. The fight lasted for hours and no one was around to stop us, so eventually we declared a tie and passed out from exhaustion. Next thing I know, its morning and here I am sleeping with a very comfortable pillow under my head, except it wasn't a pillow...it was Katara...well her lap...but yeah. Of course I immediately jumped up in surprise, but thankfully it didn't wake her. And so I took the chance and whispered to her that I loved her and had for awhile. The thing is, Katara wasn't really asleep...she was faking. She then whispered back that she loved me...and so I...um...well I kissed her... Moving on I guess about five months into my stay, Katara and I were officially together. Of course Sokka nearly killed me when he saw me kissing and hugging his baby sister but hey he couldn't do anything to stop me. Upon the announcement of Katara and I's relationship, the feud between Aang and her began to disappear. Since she wasn't pissed anymore, the two gradually became friends again. In fact by the time I left after year, they were as they started out...just minus the whole love thing. Everything was in a sense, per-"

"Zuko! You are straying from the explanation of this!" I waved the letter in front of his face.

"Oh right...well I mean we were dating. Disappearing into the temple for hours sometimes days at a time, just exploring things on our own. I mean it was the only way we could go on i dates /i, since there are no restaurants or theaters around. We just made do, having fun messing around with our elements. One time we found this slope and Katara bent a couple of ice sleds to go down it. Another time I carved our names into one of the walls in like HUGE letters! And well, yeah, about the other times...you don't need to hear that." His face began to turn the color of a fire lily, "Any way now that you have your explanation can I go? I mean I need to leave before any of the officials awake and notice me..."

"Yes Zuko, you may go, just try to hurry...although based on this letter I have a feeling that it might be awhile." I got off the bed and started to walk towards the door.

"Um?" He was tugging at his 'ninja' shirt.

"Yeah?"

"Well Azula before I go...what should I expect? I mean this is new for me, but you already went through it."

I laughed a little to loudly, "Oh my dear Zuzu, I can't answer that we are two completely different people. All I can say is good luck and if your not back in two months, then you may just get a visit from me!"

Zuko laughed along with me and gave me a hug, "Thanks sis, for everything! And yeah I mean even the stuff you did when you were psycho. Thanks for it all, I don't know where I would be if you weren't there to do it." He turned away and walked out of the room holding a small bag with everything he would need for the travel. It was the first time he had ever referred to me as his sister.

I whispered to the air, "Your welcome big...big...br..bro, your welcome." As I began to shut the door to his room I realized that I was still holding the letter. Once more I read it:

iDear Zuko,

I need you to come to the Western Air Temple immediately. At first I thought it was the food, but its not. Then Toph pulled me aside and told me she was getting weird vibrations from my direction. She and I secretly flew on Appa to a nearby village with a doctor. And even now as I write this I feel different, and extremely hungry. Zuko...the doctor says I'm pregnant, she doesn't know how far along yet but I have a pretty good idea. Please come I know your coronations are coming up and all, but I need you. Only Toph and I know, and we are trying to decide if we should wait to tell Aang and Sokka, like tell them when I begin to show more, or just tell them now. If, no WHEN you come, be prepared to get some evil glances from my brother, because once Sokka finds out he probably won't be very happy (you know because we aren't married...yet, I haven't forgotten your proposal). We'll be waiting for you. Oh and um...bring some fire nation food...for me, because I'm seriously craving it!

~Katara /i

I placed the parchment on his dresser and giggled, "Yeah Zuko, you'll be fine. It looks like your finally about to start your family...took you long of enough!"